


Eternal Promise

by Vocif



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-12 13:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vocif/pseuds/Vocif
Summary: Kazuto and Asuna finally are ready to settle down, but nothing is that easy.  Set some time after the events of GGO.





	1. A Promise Made

“We know Laughing Coffin has a group in hiding. Where are they? Are you planning another Death Gun?” 

Those were the questions set before Johnny Black as he sat in his interrogation room smiling back at the two VR agents sitting across the table. During the time The VR Section was preoccupied with the GGO incident, a small group of Laughing Coffin members went off the grid and have now vanished.

“Do you really think that terrorizing a single game was our end goal? No, what is coming is much, much bigger.” Johnny Black said with a grin on his face.

“It doesn’t seem like he’s going to talk.” one of the VR agents said when they left the room.

“He at least made mention to the fact that there is a plan. Do you think that we should contact that Kirigaya kid, just to be safe? I know that he’s gone against Laughing Coffin before, so he might be able to offer some incite. At the very least we could warn him that he is a potential target.” the other agent responded as they both walked away from the interrogation room, unaware of the plans Laughing Coffin had already set in motion.

Kazuto woke up to his alarm on a beautiful day in Tokyo. “April 20, 2028. Has it already been three years?” Kazuto murmured to himself as he got up.

After getting ready, Kazuto stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, still not used to wearing a suit. From downstairs, he could hear a noise, which he assumed to be his cousin.

“Hay Kazuto! Breakfast is ready!” Suguha calls from downstairs, right on cue.

“Ok, I'm coming!” Kazuto called back, straightening his tie.

“You better hurry, don’t want to be late to work!” Suguha teased when Kazuto got to the kitchen.

“It’s just an internship, but yeah, it wouldn’t be good to be late. So, what do you have for me today?” Kazuto responded, looking at the plate before him.

“I went all out this morning. It’s toast, with that spicy jelly you like so much. Seriously, I have no idea how you can handle these kinds of food, it doesn’t even phase you.” Suguha said in mock curiosity.

“Of course it doesn’t, the spicier the better, I say. Anyways, don’t you have school to go to? You don’t want to be late either.” Kazuto retorted, looking at the clock which read 7:45.

“You’re right! I got to go, have fun at work!” Suguha said in a rush, grabbing a piece of toast before heading out the door.

Kazuto laughed to himself when his cousin took a bit of the toast, only to find that it had the jelly on it. Letting out a yelp, Suguha dropping the piece of toast and continuing out the door, leaving Kazuto to his thoughts.

“Well, I better get going as well,” Kazuto said to himself, finishing up his own toast.

After work, Kazuto met up with Asuna at the Imperial Palace so they could spend some time together, which they have been doing more often recently. Feeling the box in his pocket, Kazuto smiled to himself as he walked with Asuna, admiring the different colors of the autumn leaves.

Kazuto put his arm around Asuna as they continued to walk, enjoying each others company.

“The weather is lovely today, isn’t it?” Asuna said, beating Kazuto to the punch.

“Um, yes, very lovely,” Kazuto said, blushing slightly, trying to calm himself down.

“Hey, are you ok? You’re acting weird. Oh, that’s right, you started your internship today. How was that?” Asuna asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Oh, you know, what’s to be expected from any place that builds robotics. Three robot fights broke out, causing several explosions. Many brave souls were lost in the crossfire, but they will live on in legend.” Kazuto said, obviously over embellishing.

“So you put together robots all day.” Asuna said in a matter-of-factly tone.

“Basically, but it sounds boring when you put it like that. We did run some simulations, and there were explosions though.” Kazuto said in mock defeat.

“Well, I’m glad you were able to get an internship. College has been going well for me, but the classes are definitely no walk in the park.” Asuna said, letting out a light laugh.

Taking a deep breath, Kazuto guided Asuna off the path into an alcove. Reaching inside of his pocket, he placed his hand around the box as he stared into Asuna’s eyes.

“When I first saw you, I did not think much of you, but as we got to know each other, things changed. Now, Asuna, my life belongs to you. I’ll give it up for you. I want to stay with you until the end.”

Later, he recalled what happened next to Agil and Klein, “It seemed that time slowed to a crawl as I pulled out the box and asked Asuna to marry me with a backdrop of cherry blossom petals falling around us.” Even though Klein teased him for doing something so cheesy, Kazuto knew that his friend was both proud and jealous for him.

Meanwhile, while Asuna was getting her weapons repaired at Lisbeth and Sinon’s shop, she recalled the moment Kirito proposed. “It felt like I was suddenly transported to a fairy tale. My heart skipped a beat when Kazuto spoke those four words that I had heard once before. I wished I could live in that one moment forever.” She knew that her mother would be hesitant, but she had begun to warm up to the fact that she and Kazuto were dating. Lisbeth was ecstatic for Asuna, though she had to laugh at the glances Lisbeth gave to her boyfriend.

The next day, since it was a Saturday, Kazuto took Asuna out to lunch. During their meal, they discussed random things, such as the weather, and some details about their wedding.

“Oh, when I told my mom that we were getting married, she exploded. She began listing off everything wrong about you, even the quality of the ring was not exempt. While I hope she comes around, it would not bother me if she did not.” Asuna said, taking a sip of her drink.

“I thought things have gotten better between you two.” Kazuto said as he looked down at his ring, surprised that he was engaged, “My sister nearly died when she saw the ring. I made sure to keep this a secret from even her, which was not easy.”

“That’s funny, I could see her doing that. I just think she wants me to have a good life, which she attributes to marrying well and having plenty of money, even though I am going to be a doctor. I don’t think that she even understands that yet since she keeps asking me what exactly I am going to do with a medical degree.” Asuna said, rubbing her temples, “Anyways, have you heard about that tournament that is coming up?”

“You mean the one that is going to take place in Collinia? Yeah, I remember hearing about that, even signed up for it.” Kirito responded, looking into Asuna’s eyes.

“I hope you are enjoying your lunch, young lady.” a voice scolded from behind the pair, startling them both.

When they turned to see where the voice was coming from, they saw Asuna’s mother, Yuuki Kyouko, standing in front of them with a scowl on her face.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Asuna said, face red and panic in her voice.

“I wanted to see this Kirigaya Kazuto that you speak so much about for myself. So this is him, huh?” Kyouko said, glaring at Kazuto.

“I am sorry we haven’t met sooner. My name is Kirigaya Kazuto, the one who asked your daughter to marry me.” Kazuto said, bowing slightly.

“So, I’ve heard that you decided not to go to college. How exactly are you planning on providing for my daughter? Flipping burgers?” Kyouko jeered, flicking her hair.

“Mother! Please, not here.” Asuna pleaded, looking nervously around.

“Well, I did think about going to a university, but I got an internship instead through a recommendation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. I just started today, actually.” Kazuto explained.

“Well, you sure know people in high places. Is that how you were able to get my daughter out of that cage?” Kyouko asked, malice not leaving her voice though it had softened just slightly.

“No, I did that by myself. The Ministry was, understandably, preoccupied at that time. I appreciate your concern about your daughter’s future, and I can assure you that she is in good hands. There is nothing that can stop me from protecting her, not even death.” Kazuto said, nodding at Asuna who was tearing up.

“Well, that is what I wanted to hear.” Kyouko said, smiling, “You lived up to my expectations, Kirigaya.”

“Wha! Mother, what are you talking about!” Asuna exclaimed, a look of disbelief on her face.

“Don’t worry, Asuna, I think I get what’s going on.” Kazuto said, taking hold of her hand before turning to face Kyouko again, “You were testing me, weren’t you. I know that you love her, but what I said still stands. Nothing will stop me from protecting her, and that is a promise I will never break.”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, but that is correct. I had to make sure that you truly were as loyal as Asuna portrayed you up to be. To be honest, I was expecting you to break down and start throwing accusations back at me. Thank you for not doing that.” Kyouko replied, getting closer to Kazuto so she could whisper in his ear, “But if you ever break your promise and Asuna gets hurt, I will find you and make your life miserable. And if I do, not even your government friends would be able to help you.”

Standing up straight again, Kyouko thanked them for the talk before leaving them to finish lunch.

“What did she tell you? Did she threaten to ruin you? Don’t mind her, I know you would never do anything to incur her wrath.” Asuna said, continuing with her lunch.

“Oh, just making sure that I don’t do anything to bring you harm. Normally I would think that more to be the father’s job, but I’ve already met him. I know he doesn’t have any guns, hopefully, but your mom most likely has lawyers or at least money.” Kazuto explained, waving it off like it was no big deal.

The rest of the meal was mostly uneventful, and by the time they had finished, it was already well into the afternoon. Kazuto offered to give Asuna a ride home, which she accepted, and they ran into Asuna’s father, Yuuki Shouzou, who congratulated them on getting engaged. He also warned Kazuto that his wife would end him if anything were to happen to Asuna, which caused all of them to laugh.

After Kazuto finished work the following Tuesday, he got an unsettling phone call from Asuna’s father, his future father-in-law, asking if he had seen Asuna lately since she failed to come back from her classes the previous day. His reply was that he hadn’t, but he would try to get in contact with her.

As soon as Kazuto hung up, he immediately began calling Asuna but was unable to reach her, not even a dial tone. Now panicking, Kazuto ran to the Imperial Garden, the place that they often met at, only to become more frustrated when he could not find her. All he found was her phone lying in the grass where they always sat, with the logo of Laughing Coffin spray painted on the cracked screen.

“Laughing Coffin, how dare they… how dare they!” Kazuto shouted, punching the grass in rage before switching to a softer and more serious tone, “I promise Asuna, I will find you, I will keep the promise that I made. Nothing will stand in my way.”


	2. The Lightning Flash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirito struggles to find leads on where Asuna has gone.

“So you’re saying that Laughing Coffin, an organization that we have kept a close eye on, has captured your fiance?” the investigator said incredulously, folding his hands on his lap.

“They have, and I have no idea how, but they managed to kidnap her. This is a serious matter, you have no idea what they have done! Why are you treating this like it is no big deal!” Kirito demanded, slamming his hand against the table.

“Please, sir. Calm down. We will investigate this matter, but there is nothing we can do until this happens.” the investigator explained, obviously uncomfortable with Kirito’s tone.

Before Kirito could continue, the door to the investigator’s office opened, revealing Seijiro Kikuoka.

“Arata, that’s enough. You can take a coffee break now, I can deal with this.” Kikuoka said, “Can we continue this conversation over at my office?”

Nodding slightly, Kazuto slowly followed Kikuoka, drained from his conversation with Arata. When they got to Kikuoka’s office, Kazuto pulled up a chair, preparing himself for the same speech he was just given.

“I can not even begin to understand what you are going through, and I can not even begin to offer my condolences.” Kikuoka began, sitting at his desk, “Sorry about Arata. As his name suggests, he was just hired this week.”

“No, no, I was upset, and he got the brunt of it,” Kazuto mumbled, looking down at his lap.

“Well, he also didn’t know the whole story.” Kikuoka stated, knowing that what he was about to say would interest Kazuto, “It is true that we have kept a close eye on the members of Laughing Coffin, however, a small group of them managed to evade us and slip under the radar during the GGO incident. I can only assume that this group is the one that captured Asuna. While this would normally make things easier, these missing members are proving difficult to find, and we suspect that they have changed their names in order to evade our attention. So yes, currently we can not help you, but I will stay in contact with you if we do find out anything.”

“Thank you for the information, I will continue searching as well,” Kazuto said, the new information perking him up slightly.

“I would expect nothing less from you. Take care, and don’t do anything reckless.” Kikuoka said, only somewhat jokingly.

When Kazuto got back to his house, he went straight to his room and closed the door, refusing to answer his cousin’s questions since he had so many himself.

“Kazuto, dinner’s ready. Is everything alright?” Suguha called out from outside of Kazuto’s room.

“Sure. I’ll be down in a moment.” Kazuto mumbled, lazily getting up from his bed.

“What happened? You and Asuna get into a fight?” Suguha asked when Kazuto finally came down, “You should be used to it by now, seeing how you two already have lived together.”

Kazuto looked down into his lap, suddenly losing his appetite. Noticing Kazuto’s mood, she decided to drop the topic, deciding to let him tell her what was wrong when he was ready, no matter how much it frustrated her not knowing.

“They took her,” Kazuto said under his breath.

“Hm? What are you talking about? Who took her?”

“Laughing Coffin took Asuna. She must have been waiting for me… and…” Kazuto could no longer hold it back as tears began streaming down hot on his cheeks, “I have to find her.”

Stunned into silence, Suguha continued eating, thinking of what to say.

“I know! I can go around and get our friends to help find Asuna! Everyone would be more than willing to help, I’m sure!” Suguha exclaimed, suddenly standing up from the table.

“No, no. I don’t want to worry the others.” Kazuto said in a defeated manner, “I already went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs earlier, but came up empty-handed. If they couldn’t find anything, I doubt anyone else could.” Kazuto let out a defeated laugh, his tears slowing.

“Kazuto, I-” Suguha started before being interrupted by the sound of Kazuto’s phone.

“Oh sorry, I have to get this.” Kazuto said, getting up before answering the phone, “Hello, this is Kazuto Kirigaya. Who is this?”

“Hey Kirito, it’s Agil. Come over to Dicey Cafe, I have something you might want to see.” Agil’s voice said before hanging up once he heard confirmation from Kazuto.

“Sorry, Suguha. Agil has something to show me.” Kazuto stated before grabbing his stuff, “I’ll be back later.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll be fine.” Suguha mumbled after her brother, staring down at her lap, “Just go find her.”

After riding his motorcycle over to the Dicey Cafe as fast as he dared to go, he quickly dismounted and rushed inside.

“Oh, you got here fast.” Agil stated when Kazuto burst in, “It seems like my suspicions are confirmed.”

“What are you talking about? Anyways, what did you want to show me?” Kazuto said, eager to know what Agil had to show.

“They just released the prizes for the tournament.” Agil said, his voice getting solemn, “Now, I have to ask, where is Asuna?”

Kazuto froze, fearing what Agil had for him. He knew that he was good at getting information, but was he this good?

“I think that you should see this,” Agil said, showing Kazuto the monitor.

Reading over the page that was open, his eyes stopped on one particular prize. In any other circumstance, Kazuto would have looked over this as a simple coincidence, but not this time.

“The Lightning Flash” a name that he remembered from what seemed like a time so long ago. Staggering back, the phrase did not leave his mind.

“No...it-it can’t be,” Kazuto mumbled to himself, slowly bringing his hands up to his head.

“Kirito, what’s going on? Isn’t that-” Agil started before Kazuto interrupted.

“Yes...Asuna has been kidnapped by them.” Kazuto stated, regaining his footing.

“Wait, you don’t mean…” Agil said in disbelief.

“I do. Laughing Coffin has kidnapped Asuna.” Kazuto stated, still drained of energy from his trip to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“Wait, why did you not tell me, or anyone else? We’re your friends, aren’t we? You can’t expect to shoulder this burden on your own like you usually do.” Agil responded, becoming slightly agitated.

“None of you would understand what it means to lose a loved one,” Kazuto said as he began to walk out.

“I’m pretty sure I can,” Agil responded softly, causing Kazuto to falter before going out into the twilight, returning home once more.

Letting out a sigh, Agil slowly returned the monitor to its original position, hoping that his friend wouldn’t do anything too dangerous, even though he was in no position to talk.


	3. Keikaku Means Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of Kirito's friends learn of the incident and a newcomer is introduced.

Sinon put down her tools, still in shock over the news that she had just heard. Earlier, Agil had called all of them together to tell them something, though she never could have guessed what he would tell them.

“I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this, but Asuna has been kidnapped.” Agil had stated so bluntly when everyone had gathered.

He went on to explain that Kazuto was being his usual stubborn self, and most likely was planning on dealing with this situation on his own. While Sinon was glad that Agil cared for Kazuto and Asuna enough to tell everyone, she could not believe what Laughing Coffin had done. Sure, she knew what they could do from her experiences with Death Gun as well as what everyone else said, but an actual kidnapping?

The very thought of this sent shivers down her spine, causing Lisbeth to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she could tell that even though her friend was trying to comfort her, she had a hard time digesting this as well.

“It’s going to be ok. Kirito has saved Asuna from situations like this before.” Lisbeth said, doubt evident in her voice.

Giving a weak smile back, Sinon went back to work, determined to help save Asuna in some way, just like Kirito had saved her from the grip of Laughing Coffin. She had already previously signed up for the tournament, and now was even more motivated to do her best. Not win, of course, since she knew that she stood no chance against Kirito, even less due to his current attitude. She could only hope to get in a different bracket than him so she can take out as much of the competition as she could.

“I’m sure he can, I just hope he stays safe.” Sinon whispered under her breath as she examined the metal before her, “Where has your boyfriend been?”

Looking around, Sinon realized that she had not seen Lisbeth’s boyfriend, Suketsuki, for some time. It was probably just a supply run that took too long, but Lisbeth needed someone to comfort her and that blue haired blacksmith would fit the bill.

As if on cue, Suketsuki came through the door, traditional business attire and all, with the supplies he had received, noticing immediately that something was wrong.

“Did I miss something while I was on the supply run? Oh, sorry that I was gone so long, I had some things to take care of IRL.” Suketsuki stated, setting the ores on a counter.

“We are...getting ready to do maintenance on everyone’s armor since the tournament is coming up. The requests are just piling up.” Lisbeth replied with a quaver in her voice, obviously not fooling Suketsuki.

“Oh Liz, you know you can’t fool me,” Suketsuki said calmly, walking over Lisbeth and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Unable to hold it back anymore, Lisbeth let her tears flow out, very little being understood from what she was saying. Looking to Sinon for translation, he gently stroked Lisbeth’s head to calm her down.

“Asuna was kidnapped by a group of red players from the old SAO server. We have reason to believe that these red players were apart of the guild Laughing Coffin.” Sinon explained, Suketsuki’s blood running cold at the mention of the guild.

“What! Aren’t those the people behind all those terrible acts like the Death Gun incident? I thought the government would have had a close eye on them.” Suketsuki said, concern written on his face.

“A-and now-Asuna is-is a prize for the tournament, Suke,” Lisbeth said through her tears, breaking Suketsuki’s heart.

Suddenly, the door opened and Silica walked in. Seeing the scene, she begins to back away.

“Oh...I’m sorry, it seems like I’m interrupting something.” Silica asked quietly, tear stains obvious on her eyes, “I’ll...just come back later.”

Before she knew it, however, Silica found that she was unable to move due to Lisbeth crying on her shoulder, which then led to her to start crying again as well. Watching this scene go down, Suke and Sinon shift on their feet awkwardly, tears in the eyes of the latter.

Knowing that there was nothing he could do to help with this situation, he instead went about the process of putting away the spoils of his most recent supply run, trying to think of how to comfort his girlfriend but coming up blank. After all, he was the outsider here, not having known this group of friends for that long, let alone experience any of their memories.

After an hour or so went by, when everyone had calmed down significantly, Suke suggested that they went somewhere to get some air, a suggestion that everyone readily agreed to. Upon arriving at a nearby pub, they all sat down at a booth, the gloomy atmosphere following them.

“Waaaaaiter!” a familiar voice slurred from the bar, “Anothur beeer.”

“Wait, is that...Klein!” the group said in shock, turning to face their drunk friend.

“What are you doing here?” Lisbeth asked, “Don’t you have work today?”

“Ooh, that right. I taught I tol’ you guys that I had a cold.” Klein said in drunken confusion.

“That makes sense, but why are you drunk? Shouldn’t you be resting, or at least not playing something so stimulating?” Suke asked, examining Klein. He had met the man once before, but he did not pin him to be the kind of person to do something like this.

“Oh, heh Suke. You know, Suke, you want to know what I taught about you? I was glad that Liz foun someone shorter than me. Now I’m not the second shortest person in the group.” Klein stated out of the blue, “Well, out of th men in the group, at least. Anywayz, besides Kirito, I knew Asuna th’ best.” Klein complained, moving over to join the others once he got his beer, “So, what should weh do?”

“I was already planning on joining the tournament, so I guess I can help Kirito clear out some competition, though winning is out of the question now.” Sinon said, leaning back in her seat.

“You got that right, nobody can stop Kirito when he gets serious.” Silica replied, “Though he’s still strong normally.”

“Oh, that reminds me, how’s the pet shop going?” Lisbeth asked Silica, giving her order to a waitress who walked by.

“You know, business as usual. My boss really likes the business my fan club brings, and I’m really enjoying it.” Silica replied, fixing her hair absently, “I’m just worried about Kirito, Laughing Coffin sure isn’t messing around this time.”

“Oh, don’t wooorry about that guy, he always goes overbord on these tings. He’ll be fine.” Klein said, taking a swig of his beer.

“I think you had enough,” Lisbeth said firmly taking the beer from the man’s hands and finishing it herself.

“Aaas I was sayin’, he has his ole pal Klein to watch out fer him.” Klein continued without skipping a beat, making the motion of drinking his beer only to find it missing, “Hey… where’d it go?”

With this comment, the entire booth burst out laughing, causing Klein to become even more confused. From the other side of the pub, a lone player listened in to the conversation, smiling to himself.

Finding out what he came there for, he got up and left, having already paid for what he got. As he walked out into the digital afternoon, a tattoo of a coffin caught the light of the afternoon sun as the figure logged out to report what he had found.

“It is truly all going according to plan.”


	4. The Tournament Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first round of the tournament begins.

Looking at his alarm, Daisuke Tsukino, or Suketsuki in-game, reluctantly got up. It had been a difficult couple of days since the news of Asuna’s kidnapping, and today was finally the tournament. Although he was not participating in it himself, he had promised Lisbeth that he would watch it with her. Looking at the exchange he had over mail with an unknown address, he reread the last line, “I am not getting emotionally involved, do not worry.” While he did worry about the implications of this message, he did not want to think about it at this time.

Unsurprisingly, the traffic of their shop had increased the closer this tournament got, with players wanting to either repair their current equipment or get better gear. From what he had heard about Kirito, however, this was basically a moot point since this particular swordsman was ridiculously strong. Thinking back, he remembered watching a GGO tournament with some friends and being impressed with one of the players, which turned out to be Kirito.

Going downstairs, he grabbed something quick for breakfast before returning to his room. While he did have an hour or so until Lisbeth wanted to meet up, he wanted to do his own research beforehand so that he would know what to expect going in. Besides Kirito, there seemed to be several other good players such as a leader of one of the factions in a previous MMO… Alfheim Online maybe?-as well as two members of the Sleeping Knights, who defeated floor 27’s boss with only a small party with the help of Asuna.

After he was done with his breakfast, he decided to go into the game to finish some final things before meeting up with Lisbeth, namely looking for more supplies for the shop. Upon entering, he was immediately met with the commotion of talk about the tournament and who was projected to win. Slipping away from the crowd to the normal places he gets supplies from, he was left alone to his own thoughts.

Recalling the stories that he had been told about Kirito, he knew that he was a force to be reckoned with if someone messes with Asuna, or for any of his friends for that matter. And while this might be different now, he even attacked someone IRL who attempted to forcefully make Asuna his wife. He did find this creepy beyond all reason and still couldn’t believe that this happened, but also was slightly frightened by what Kirito would do to protect Asuna.

Thinking of this made him glad that he was not in the tournament, along with the hope that he never got on the dual-wielder's bad side. Lost in thought, he barely noticed that he got a message until a voice shook him out of his daze.

“Hey, hello there? Earth to Suke.” Lisbeth said, slightly annoyed, “I’ve been trying to contact you for the past half hour, and this is where you are?”

“Oh, sorry.” Suke responded with a chuckle, noticing all of the new messages he had, “I guess I got distracted. It’s not time for us to meet up yet, though. What do you want?”

Suke could notice that Lisbeth was worried about something, shifting her weight from one foot to another. Whatever it was, it definitely was difficult for Lisbeth to say.

“It’s about Kirito.” Lisbeth began, “I...just remember that he really is a good guy, no matter what he does.”

“Ah, so that’s what this was about. Don’t worry, I know. He just really wants to get back Asuna, right? I have a general idea about this Laughing Coffin group from what you told me, so I understand him wanting to get her back so much.” Suke reassured Lisbeth with a smile and a small embrace.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Lisbeth then began to lay out their plans for the day as they began the journey to the floor that the tournament was being held. Walking with hands intertwined, the couple peacefully strolled along, since they had plenty of time before they had to meet the rest of the group.

“I still can’t believe that you lived here for two years. It definitely was well made for a virtual reality game.” Suke pointed out as they got closer to the teleporter.

“Yeah, I can barely believe it myself. It seems like a dream now.” Lisbeth said with a small smile on her face, “But I met so many good friends during that time, and I was able to meet you with the knowledge I got!”

Smiling as well, Suke was glad how Lisbeth acted about her time trapped in SAO, seeing that some were still recovering from the mental trauma of the ordeal. However, he should not be thinking of such things currently, but instead, focus on the present where he was walking with his girlfriend. Suddenly, he realized that they had never met IRL, or if they did they didn’t realize it.

“Hey, I know this tournament is important, but I just realized that we haven’t met face to face yet,” Suke mentioned, causing Lisbeth to nod her head.

“True, very true. We might even be close to each other without knowing.” Lisbeth replied, “We should probably meet up sometime. The group was going to meet up tonight at Agil cafe to discuss the results of the tournament. Want to come? It will be a good opportunity to meet the others as well.”

“That sounds good, I think I can make it,” Suke said, making a mental note to tell his parents about this later.

Stepping through the portal to floor 75, they spotted their friends waiting for them near the portal. Waving at them to get their attention, Lisbeth walked over to join the others with Suke following close behind still holding her hand.

“It seems like the two lovebirds finally arrived.” Klein said as the couple got closer, “I guess we can’t get away from this now, even without Kirito and Asuna here. Good to see you.”

“Oh come on Klein, your just mad since you don’t have a girl.” Lisbeth retorted with a smirk, “Good to see you as well.”

“Hey, where are Kirito and Sinon? Are they getting ready for the tournament?” Suke asked, looking around.

“Yes, due to how many people joined the tournament the organizers decided to start with a large elimination round, so Sinon had to go early. We haven’t seen Kirito though.” Agil said, his size still somewhat intimidating Suke even though he had known the man for some time, “Oh, I’m holding a meeting at my cafe later, you coming?”

“Definitely, Liz was just telling me about it earlier. Is the tournament starting soon?” Suke replied as he went over the directions Lisbeth gave him earlier.

“Sure thing, we were just about to go in without you.” Suguha stated bluntly.

“Oh, that’s right, where is your secret admirer Leefa?” Klein asked.

“What, you mean Nagata? When he heard of Asuna’s situation, he signed up for the tournament.” Suguha replied with a sigh, “He really didn’t need to do that.”

“What? Do you have a crush on him, Leefa?” Silica asked, shocked, “Are his attempts finally working?”

“Huh! No no no, don’t get me wrong.” Suguha responded, blushing, “I mean, sure, he might have matured, and is a good friend, but I don’t think of him like that!”

“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Klein taunted Suguha, getting a left hook to his face as a result.

While this was going on, Lisbeth burst out laughing and Silica just watched the ordeal go down with a confused look on her face. A smile crept across Suke’s face, enjoying the company of his new friends.

“We better get in before the tournament starts,” Agil stated since the group had gotten distracted.

“Dang it, I almost forgot!” Klein exclaimed before running to the arena, “I’m supposed to be one of the competitors. I’ll catch you guys later.”

When everyone had gotten to their seats, they did not have to wait long until the preliminary round began. As the competitors came out, Suke could barely make out his friends in the crowd, though it was very evident when the round started and Kirito started destroying those around him with his dual wield skill. Looking on the other side of the arena, he noticed a blur of red, most likely the leader of the Salamanders, making easy work of those around him in a similar fashion.

Tearing his eyes off of the arena, he noticed a small fairy had joined them, sitting on Sugu’s shoulder and seemed to be cheering on her “Daddy.” Though this did confuse Suke, he remembered that this must be Kirito’s fairy that thinks of him and Asuna as its parents.

“Ok folks, we have reached the halfway point in the preliminary round. The number of competitors are dropping fast and show no signs of stopping. Powerhouses have become evident early on, with the players Kirito and Eugene dominating the competition.” the announcer’s voice boomed, “And let’s not forget about the sharpshooter Sinon, who is picking off far away targets and stabbing those who get too close to her. This tournament sure is turning out to be exciting.”

Suke let out a sigh, surprised at how fast the numbers were dwindling. Sure, he had known that Kirito was strong, but the only one who could match his level was the leader of the Salamanders, everyone else was just no match. Soon enough, the number of competitors left standing got to the right amount and the preliminary round coming to an end. To no one’s surprise, Kirito, Eugene, and Sinon all made it in the remaining 16, and the only other names he recognized were Reckon and Klein.

As all of the competitors made their way out of the arena to prepare for the next portion of the tournament, Suke hesitantly looked over at his friends, hoping that whatever happened next, it would turn out for the better.


	5. As Expected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first round goes as expected, though sometimes what is expected seems more like fiction.

“The tournament will be beginning shortly. Competitors, please make your way to the waiting area. The tournament will be beginning shortly. Competitors…” a female voice droned over the intercom, alerting those in the arena of what was happening.

“Well, I guess that would be me. Wish me luck.” Sinon said before heading to the waiting area.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’re really good with the bow so I’m sure the beginning rounds will be a piece of cake.” Lisbeth said, encouraging her business partner.

“What about me? Are you going to wish me luck?” Klein teased, pretending to be hurt.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Try not to lose to spectacularly, though that might be difficult for you.” Lisbeth retorted.

Chuckling to himself, Klein went to the waiting room as well, leaving the remainder of the group to make their way back to their seats.

“Hey, how long do you think Klein is going to last?” Suguha asked when they got to their seats.

“He’ll probably trip over a pebble and stab himself in the first round,” Lisbeth responded, looking over the arena.

“I thought that you said he was a good fighter though? Wasn’t he on the front lines when everyone was trapped in SAO?” Suke asked, confused by his girlfriend’s attitude.

“Oh, I know he’s a good fighter. It’s just fun to pick on him.” Lisbeth replied, “He seems to enjoy the attention anyway.”

Satisfied with the answer, Suke turned his attention back to the arena, where the first fight was beginning. Apparently, the first fight was between Eugene and some random person who just barely made it through the preliminaries, so it was obvious who was going to win from the very beginning.

As soon as the fight began, it was over, Eugene using his sword’s special ability to go right through his opponent’s defense for an easy victory. The next two fights were slightly more interesting, with competitors being people who just barely managed to survive the preliminaries.

Due to the fact that this version of Aincrad allowing magic, the battles were diverse, though Suke had nothing to compare it with due to him not playing SAO when it came out, not that he was disappointed that he missed out. He only could compare the fights with what his friends told him about their experience in SAO, though these fights probably could not compare since lives are not on the line.

Eventually, it was Nagata’s turn to fight, and Suke had to say that he was better than expected. Dodging this way and that, poisoning his opponent, the battle was drawn out for several minutes, though unfortunately, he was no match once his opponent caught up.

Due to the fact that Nagata’s opponent used a berserker sword, his frail body was easily sent flying across the arena, smashing into the wall for an instant K.O. Looking over to Suguha, Suke noticed the concern in her face before she excused herself to go somewhere, most likely to check on Nagata.

“Hey, I’m going to follow Suguha, want to come?” Lisbeth whispered in Suke’s ear.

Nodding, the two got up and followed close behind Suguha, careful not to be noticed. He should have expected Lisbeth to be curious about what her friends did, especially since she was suspicious that Suguha had a crush on Nagata and would not rest until she found out the truth.

“We probably shouldn’t be spying on other-” Suke started to say before Lisbeth put her hand over his mouth and put her finger up to her lips.

They followed Suguha to the entrance of the arena, where they saw Nagata talking with her.

“I...I know I’m not strong enough to do much. I’m not like your brother or most of your friends, but I couldn’t just do nothing when I learned what happened.” Nagata explained, making it obvious to Suke and Lisbeth that they had come in in the middle of the conversation, “I know you don’t like me, though that still doesn’t change how I feel about you and I-”

Nagata’s words suddenly stopped, causing Suke and Lisbeth to peer out from their hiding spot ever so slightly to see that Suguha had embraced Nagata, ceasing the boy’s rambling.

“Why? Why do you keep doing things like this for me?” Suguha asked, her voice quavering, “I have always turned you down when you talked about how you felt for me, so why haven’t you just given up?”

“Don’t you remember? I told you that my sword belongs to you and you alone.” Nagata responded.

Placing a hand on Lisbeth’s shoulder, Suke motioned that they should leave before someone spotted them. Nodding, the two stood up and returned to their seats, Lisbeth now full of energy.

“Hey, you two went to spy on Leefa?” Silica asked, curiosity in her voice, “Does she actually have a crush on Nagata?”

“Oh, she totally does. I didn’t see all of it, but she is probably confessing her feelings right now.” Lisbeth answered, making Suke glad that they had left when they did.

“Did we miss anything?” Suke asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, Kirito was just up.” Silica replied, not even needing to go into the details.

Running the scenario through his mind, Suke almost felt sorry for whoever had to go up against Kirito, who once destroyed an opponent's sword with one strike, and he wasn’t even that mad then. As far as Suke could tell, Kirito probably just went all out on the poor guy, using his dual sword skill and going berserk.

“And up next we have the sharpshooter Sinon versus the samurai Klein. This will be an interesting fight, seeing that the opponents use two different fighting styles. If Klien doesn’t make this a close quarters fight, he does not stand a chance.” the announcer said, pointing out the fact that most of the audience already was aware of.

As soon as the match started, Sinon immediately began firing arrows at Klein, who dodged them easily, destroying an arrow with his katana. Though Suke knew some about both of their fighting styles, he honestly did not know who would win. Unlike the other fights where the winner was obvious, this match could go either way.

The match dragged on for some time, with Sinon keeping Klein at a distance and Klein dodging all of Sinon’s arrows. After some time went by, Sinon switched to explosive arrows, which caused Klein to focus solely on defense, though not much else changed.

Eventually, when it seemed like Klein was slowing down, he began charging up a special attack in order to finish the match. For some reason, Sinon stopped firing arrows at Klien almost as if she was letting him charge up the attack.

As soon as Klein released his attack and was barreling towards Sinon, she released an arrow, sticking into Klein’s ankle. His momentum slowed, he lost control of his katana as he fell forward, the sharp end of his blade impaling him in the chest.

After several seconds of silence as the audience tried to process what just happened, the entire arena burst out in laughter. Sinon was stunned, not expecting her plan to work so well, though glad she was victorious.

“Well...I was not expecting him to actually do that.” Lisbeth said, stunned by what just happened.

After the crowd died down, a feat that took several minutes to accomplish, the last two competitors fought, though it was not as interesting as the last fight. Somewhere during the fight, Suguha slipped back into her seat, unnoticed by Lisbeth which was probably for the better.

“We will take a short break before the second round. Please feel free to walk around during this time.” a female voice announced over the intercom.

“Those battles sure were interesting, weren’t they?” Suguha said as everyone began to get up.

“Oh, too bad you missed the fight between Sinon and Klien, that one had an interesting ending.” Lisbeth said slyly, “What could you have possibly gone off to do, maybe confess your feelings?”

“What? What do you mean by…” Suguha started before realizing what Lisbeth meant, her face turning red, “Wait! You saw that?”

“Not all of it, but enough,” Lisbeth said, winking.

“What’s going on, Sugu got a boyfriend?” Klein sarcastically asked as he walked up.

“Yup, I guess you’re smarter than I thought, your brain must have been the reason you got yourself with your own sword.” Lisbeth mockingly said.

“Wait, what!” Klein exclaimed, looking at Suguha and then back to Lisbeth, “Hey! That happened on accident and you know it.”

“I know, even I was surprised.” Sinon stated as she walked up, “All I was trying to do was slow you down, but I guess what happened was even better.”

“No, not you too. Can’t a guy catch a break?” Klein complained, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“Well, I have to say that it was a good fight. You both did well.” Suke said, nodding to both Klein and Sinon before turning to Suguha, “Oh, I’m sorry that my girlfriend is so nosy. Though if you’re going to go off and do something like that, you should probably be less conspicuous.”

“Wait, since you two already got out, where is Kazuto? His match was before yours, so he should already have been let out.” Suguha asked, looking around.

“Oh, I thought he was with you. I guess he went off on his own to train or something.” Klein replied, “He gets like this when he is angry.”

“I just hope he doesn’t stress himself too much over this.” Silica stated, “We’ve already lost one friend, I don’t want to lose another.”

For the rest of the day, those words echoed through Suke’s head, along with the knowledge that he would not be sleeping that night.


	6. Fights and Dice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinon and Eugene fight and Suke gets some advice from Agil.

When the announcer stated that the next set of matches were about to begin, everyone was already settled back into their seats, ready to see the fights. This made sense since the first match was between two of the major powerhouses in the preliminaries, Eugene and Sinon.

When the two squared off right before the beginning of the fight, not a sound was heard in the arena, tension thick in the air. As soon as the countdown reached zero, both contestants immediately rocketed into action, Sinon firing arrows while Eugene effortlessly dodging.

Not skipping a beat, Sinon switched to explosive arrows, though they passed through Eugene’s sword like it wasn’t even there. Right as Eugene got within 50 feet of Sinon, however, a flash of steel was seen, throwing Eugene off balance but not causing that much damage as Sinon reeled back her dagger.

“Well folks, this is a surprise. With magic, Sinon used her dagger as a throwing knife, effectively throwing her opponent off balance. It seems like the archer now has the advantage.” the announcer exclaimed, the crowd ecstatic with the exciting battle going on.

“Ha, don’t think you’ve bested me yet!” Eugene shouted, audible to everyone in the arena.

As Eugene charged up his weapon, Sinon did not wait this time, firing several arrows his way. Just as Eugene’s sword was going to connect with Sinon, she jumped out of the way, causing Eugene’s sword to go into the ground.

Firing an arrow into the ground, Sinon covered the arena with smoke, making it difficult to tell what was happening. However, it was not as difficult to tell where Eugene was, who kept shouting taunts.

“Well folks, it seems like the archer has lowered the visibility to just about zero, making it hard to commentate on the match. However, this does not seem even to faze Eugene, who has not stopped his offense. We will have to wait for the smoke to clear.” the announcer said, unsure of what was going on.

Eventually, the smoke did clear, revealing Sinon and a beat up Eugene, making it obvious how the fight went in the smoke. However, Eugene did not seem to be worn out yet. On the contrary, Sinon seemed to be losing endurance fast.

“What’s the matter, girl? Getting tired from all of your running around!” Eugene exclaimed, attempting to get close enough for his attacks to connect only to be hit with an arrow, “You’re good, I almost felt that! Enough playing around now, time to finish this.”

Once more, Eugene started charging his attack, causing Sinon to fire arrows while moving. Due to paying more attention to Eugene than her surroundings, she tripped on the crater caused by Eugene’s last attack, leaving her helpless as she watched Eugene get ever closer.

In a last-ditch effort to get away, Sinon tried to jump back to get out of Eugene’s range, though he predicted this. Lunging forward, his sword connected with Sinon, allowing him to use his skill connect. After it was over, Eugene was victorious, though beaten up. Helping Sinon up, the two made their way off of the field so the next competitors can get on.

The next match was Kirito versus the berserker who defeated Nagata, who put up a good fight but stood no chance against Kirito’s dual sword skill connect. Speaking of Nagata, he had joined the group since he had lost his match. Oddly enough, Lisbeth did not bug Nagata about this, though Suke could tell she wanted to.

Throughout Kirito’s match, he could see Yui cheering him on from Suguha’s shoulder. For a moment, Suke imagined what it would be like if Kirito and Asuna actually had kids, but that only made him more certain of his lack of sleep that night.

The last two fights were uneventful, with two random people that he had never heard of winning. After the second round of fights was over, the tournament was over for the day, which was a relief to Suke. He did not know how much more of this he could take.

“Oh, don’t forget about the meeting later!” Lisbeth exclaimed before they parted ways.

“Yeah, totally looking forward to meeting you in person,” Klien said, bumping Suke on the shoulder before Suke logged out.

Taking off his AmuSphere, Daisuke placed his arm across his face, letting out a moan. He had almost completely forgotten about the meeting, though he knew he needed to go. Maybe he could clear up some of his guilt that way, though it was unlikely.

Writing down the route he would have to take to get to Dicey Cafe, all he had to do was wait. Ignore the call he was getting and wait. Ignore all of the emails and wait. Begin slightly freaking out and wait.

By the time he had reached the cafe, he was on edge. Several times on the way to the cafe, he had thought about just staying on the train and make it seem like he got lost, but no, that would only make things worse. Entering the cafe, he was met by warm faces and cheery greeting; he felt even worse.

Taking a seat at the bar, Agil, the owner of the cafe, offered to get Suke something, though he refused. He did not feel like being there right now, he would much rather be surrounded by poisonous spiders. At least he wouldn’t survive that experience.

“Hey, I have something to show you, follow me,” Agil said under his breath to Suke so that no one else heard him.

Walking out to the back of the cafe, Suke was struck by how large Agil was in real life. Going through the reasons why he was called out here made one thing clear. Agil knew. Agil knew and was going to tell everyone, or take care of him right then and there and...and…

“Hey, pull yourself together. You look like I’m about to shoot you.” Agil stated, letting out a sigh, “I just wanted to talk. Why do you look so stressed out? This is the first time you are going to meet your girlfriend outside of the game, and you look like your dog just died.”

“Well, I...You see I…” Suke stammered, trying to collect his thoughts, “I need your help.”

Back inside the cafe, Lisbeth finally arrived, dressed up as if she was going on a date.

“Wow, you look terrific Rika! You definitely want to impress Suke, don’t you!” Silica chirped, greeting her friend.

“O-Of course. We’ve known each other for a while in-game, but this is the first time I actually get to see what he looks like.” Lisbeth responded, slightly nervous, “Is he here yet?”

“He was just here. I didn’t see where he went, but he does look nice.” Suguha said, remembering that she thought it odd that he wore a collared shirt and slacks out to this meeting.

“Hey, you already have someone you like, leave someone for me.” Lisbeth teased, causing both the girls to laugh.

“I thought I was the only one you teased. Good to see that you are expanding your horizons.” Klein mockingly said, pretending to be proud.

Out in the back of the cafe, Agil handed Suke a slip of paper with a phone number on it.

“Call him; he will be able to help.” Agil said before putting one arm over Suke’s shoulder, “Now let’s get back to everyone! I’m sure your girlfriend is dying to meet you.”

When they walked into the central part of the cafe, he spotted Lisbeth laughing with her friends. While a part of him was glad to see her and relieved that she was dressed up as well, another part of him felt saddened by the scene. Stuffing the piece of paper into his pocket, he joined everyone else.

“Ah, here he is, the man of the hour! Just like I imagined you.” Klien said, bumping Suke’s shoulder lightly with his fist.

“Hello, my name is Daisuke Tsukino. It is a pleasure to meet you all.” Suke said, bowing slightly.

“And I am Rika Shinozaki.” Lisbeth said, hugging Suke, “Mind if I still call you Suke?”

“As long as I can call you Lisbeth,” Suke responded, accepting the hug.

After this, he had calmed down considerably from earlier, enjoying the rest of the evening even though the phone number felt heavy in his pocket. He simply wanted to enjoy this moment before he had to face reality, along with any consequences.

For one reason or another, Kirito never showed up to the party, and the only reason for this that was given was that he was still trying to find out how to get back his fiance. This information was from his sister...cousin? Suguha. At the end of the party, Suke and Lisbeth traded their contact information so they could contact each other when they wanted to meet up in real life again.

Once he got back home, he immediately pulled out his phone and called the number on the paper. After several rings, a man’s voice came through on the other end.

“Hello?”

Looking out his window while he talked, Suke looked at the lights illuminating the skyline of the city as its inhabitants gather comfortably in their homes, getting ready for the night. He never had this moment himself, seeing that his parents seemed always to be working and he was currently going to a university away from home. Maybe that’s the reason why things turned out this way? But now is not the time to blame others.

“Thank you, Mr. Kikuoka,” Suke replied before hanging up.

Letting out a sigh, Suke was glad that he met so many wonderful people who would go out of their way to help him. Maybe with that strength, he could…

Picking up his phone, he knew he had to make one more call.

“Hello, Lisbeth? It’s Suke. Can I meet you tomorrow before the tournament, there is something I have to tell you.”


	7. In the Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is told.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about? Oh, thanks.” Lisbeth asked as Suke pulled out her chair so she could sit.

“Well…” Suke started, his courage from last night gone, “How about we get something to eat first.”

“I’m surprised that you asked me here to be honest. I always thought of you to be the type that takes things slowly.” Lisbeth teased as they ordered their food.

“It...it’s not like that,” Suke mumbled, tugging on his collar.

“Hey, it’s fine. We spend plenty of time together in-game, so this should be no different.” Lisbeth said reassuringly, not knowing the real reason Suke was nervous.

Looking down at his lap, he continued to build up his courage, reassuring himself that she would understand even though a voice deep down kept saying that this was not true.

“It was no mistake that I met you in-game.” Suke began, not wanting to come right out.

“Huh? Of course, it wasn’t. People call stuff like that fate or something.” Lisbeth replied, not noticing Suke’s tone.

“I just want you to know that my feelings for you were never fake.” Suke continued, slowly building momentum.

“Oh, ok...? I...guess I feel the same way, but do you really think this is the place to do this?” Lisbeth said, her face turning red.

“Oh...right.” Suke responded, realizing what she thought he was going to say as he began to blush as well, “Well...maybe after we eat?”

He needed her to know, but Lisbeth was right, not revealing his secret around others was a good idea. While she meant it for something different, Suke was still glad that she stopped him.

They then went on to talk about random things over breakfast, from where they went to school, to the tournament, to how the weather had been. While these things were rather mundane, Suke was glad to talk about them, since he was bracing himself just in case Lisbeth never wanted to see him again.

When they were done with their meal, Lisbeth suggested that they went for a walk. Normally she would suggest the Imperial Palace, but that place held bad memories so Suke suggested to just walk around a nearby park.

As they walked, Lisbeth rested her head on Suke’s shoulders, making him feel hesitant to tell her what he had to say. He had just about made up his mind when she spoke up.

“So, what was it that you wanted to say?” Lisbeth asked, looking into Suke’s eyes.

Stopping in his tracks, he stared down at his feet, building up the courage once more.

“I think you should go for it.” Lisbeth said, not breaking contact with Suke as her eyes teared up slightly, “It’s fine, you don’t have to worry about me. We can always just be friends.”

“Wait, what did you think I was going to say?” Suke asked, confused now.

“Oh, I thought you were going to tell me that you liked someone else. That’s why I didn’t want others around.” Lisbeth said, drying her tears, “So what do you have to say?”

“You should probably sit down for this,” Suke suggested, guiding them over to a park bench.

“No way, I can handle whatever you have for me! Don’t underestimate my strength!” Lisbeth exclaimed, putting one foot on the bench and her hands on her sides in a triumphant pose.

“You were on the verge of crying a second ago.” Suke pointed out, using the light atmosphere to get ready for what was to come.

“Hey, I was doing that so you wouldn’t felt bad about leaving me,” Lisbeth replied, pouting slightly as she got down off of the bench.

“Sure you were…” Suke said before he could no longer hold it in, “I-I was a member of Laughing Coffin.”

Staring back at Suke with a blank look and a smile plastered on for several seconds before collapsing on the ground. After several more seconds, Suke could tell that she was crying due to how her body trembled.

Taking a step back with tears in his eyes as well, Suke broke the silence.

“I’m sorry.”

It was all he trusted himself to say, even though he wanted to say so much more. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, why he joined Laughing Coffin, how it was not his fault that Asuna was kidnapped, but he could only get out a short, weak apology that could never make up for what he had done.

With that, he turned and walked away, tears streaming down his face as he left the girl he loved behind with the knowledge that he could do nothing to comfort her since he was the cause of her sorrow. After taking several steps, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso, arms he never thought he would ever see again.

“Why?” Lisbeth asked quietly, tears soaking Suke’s collared shirt, “Why would you do something like that? Why would you even tell me?”

“I-I couldn’t hold it in any longer.” Suke explained, his voice catching, “I did not want to keep on lying to the one I loved.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to any of us? Why now of all times?” Lisbeth yelled into Suke’s shirt, getting several weird looks from others walking around the park as she started hitting his back with her shaky arms.

“I told Agil actually. Just yesterday. He told me-he told me to chose a side. For your sake.” Suke said, his voice trembling just like Lisbeth’s arms as he turned around to face her, Lisbeth’s arms now slowly hitting his chest.

“What about you? Aren’t you worried about yourself? Do you know what they do to those who betray them?” Lisbeth asked, quieting down.

“That does not matter to me. All I am concerned about is helping those whom I love, not living a safe life where I am two-faced. I don’t think I could live with-” Suke rambled, tears streaming hotly down his face in the cool Autumn breeze as Lisbeth stretched up on her toes into a kiss.

Tears still streaming from both of their faces, dampening the ground beneath, they stayed that way for a good minute before pulling away, both embarrassed by the elderly couple watching. Brushing off her dress, Lisbeth cleared her throat before breaking the silence.

“L-let’s not tell Kirito about this, ok?”


	8. Semifinals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The semifinals take place.

“Hey guys, we’re here! I hope we didn’t make you guys wait too long.” Lisbeth said as she and Suke met up with the rest of the group.

“Oh, it’s not a problem. How was your date with Suke?” Silica chirped, obviously interested.

“Well…” Lisbeth thought for a moment, deciding what to say, “We totally made out.”

“Good going Suke! That’s my man.” Klein said proudly, slinging his arm around Suke, “But seriously, where did you get your moves? You gotta teach me sometime.”

“Well, you would have to get a girl first, but I don’t see that happening. I mean, didn’t you try to pick up an NPC? She was way out of your league as well.” Suke replied, laughing.

Looking over to Agil, Suke noticed that the man was giving him a slight nod, almost as if to acknowledge that he knew what really went down on his date. Suke honestly was not surprised, since Agil seemed to be more knowledgeable than he seems. Ever since he told Lisbeth that he used to be a member of Laughing Coffin, and she still accepted him, he felt like he was walking on clouds.

“Well, I would love to hear about you two lovebirds, but the semifinals are about to start,” Sinon said bluntly.

“Wow, harsh Sinon. What? Are you jealous of us?” Lisbeth teased.

“Oh, shots fired.” Silica said under her breath.

Rolling her eyes, Sinon began to walk towards the arena. “Well, I’m just going to go on ahead. You should probably come back when you actually have a real relationship, miss fan club.” Sinon called back, not stopping.

“You know, I would make a comeback if that wasn’t true.” Silica mumbled with a weak smile.

“Don’t let that get you down, Silica, there has got to be a boy just waiting for you.” Lisbeth said, comforting her friend, “If I can get someone like Suke, I’m sure there has to be someone for you! You’re still young, anyways!”

“That makes you sound like an old woman, and what does that mean for Suke?” Silica asked, laughing.

“Yes young lady, when I was your age I was just as plump as you now look at me now!” Lisbeth said, looking at Silica’s chest, “Ah, so small, it takes me back…”

“Hey! What exactly do you mean by that!” Silica mockingly exclaimed, covering her chest with her arms.

“We should probably get into the arena, though this round will probably not be as exciting,” Suke stated, laughing at Lisbeth and Silica’s exchange.

“Ah, come on, dude, this is quality entertainment. It’s not every day that something like this happens.” Klein complained.

“Do you want to make this your last day?” Suguha asked with a serious expression.

“Hey, let’s go get our seats!” Klein said quickly, speeding off to the arena.

Once inside the arena, they met up with Sinon, who had been waiting for them at the main entrance. While she did give them some grief, she seemed more interested in getting some seats.

On their way to their seats, Nagata met up with them, and instead of what Suguha would typically do, she was more than fine with Nagata joining them. Suke didn’t mind, as long as he had Lisbeth by his side, he was happy.

“Ok folks, the semifinals are here, with two of the three powerhouses making it to no one’s surprise. While I would like to say that these fights will be good, by how the past fights have been going I am sure that these fights will be completely one-sided. I wish the opponents my condolences, may they successfully piece back what is left of their egos on their way out afterward.” the announcer stated, the arena going quiet, “And now for the first event: Eugene versus the mage.”

While the fight was over relatively fast, the mage did not go down without a fight. Unfortunately, it takes time to cast spells, time which Eugene did not give the mage. However, Eugene did allow the mage to get off one spell, though he did not allow for it to connect.

As the smoke cleared from the blow Eugene landed on the mage, cheers erupted from the crowd, since Eugene just had that kind of presence that made everything he did seem exciting. Once the two combatants left the field, the final competitors came out, another berserker and an angry Kirito. To no one’s surprise, as soon as the match started, Kirito let out a primal scream before doing a four-hit combo, leaving two overlapping square-like trails surrounding the fallen berserker.

“I don’t believe this, folks! Instant kill! Is this swordsman going to be the winner or the charismatic leader of the Salamanders? Stay tuned to find out the thrilling conclusion in the finals!” the announcer exclaimed, matching the energy of the crowd.

“We made the right choice in not telling him. Kirito is scary when he’s mad.” Suke whispered in Lisbeth’s ear.

“You’re just noticing that?” Lisbeth replied with a smirk, “He just really wants to protect those he cares about, but yes, he can get intense.”

“Hey, what are you guys talking about?” Silica asked, leaning in.

“Oh, nothing much, just that we promised not to tell Kirito about what happened on our date, so can you keep it a secret? We wouldn’t want him to feel left out since he doesn’t have Asuna.” Lisbeth responded, not exactly lying.

“Ah, ok. Probably a good idea.” Silica said, nodding thoughtfully.

“What are you guys planning on doing before the finals?” Nagata asked as everyone began getting out of their seats.

“Hm...maybe just walking around, stretching our legs. Even if this is just a game, I still like to be active when I can. And the weather is just wonderful today!” Lisbeth said with a big smile, mirroring how Suke felt.

“I’ll go with you,” Suke said, placing his hand on Lisbeth’s.

“Mind if we join you?” Suguha asked, Lisbeth, nodding in confirmation before they got up and began walking around the area outside of the arena.

Suke breathed in the fresh air, and while virtual, he still enjoyed this peaceful time with his girlfriend. Everything was about to conclude one way or another, and he needed to prepare for it, and hopefully, Kirito will be willing to accept whatever the outcome was, even if it is not what he wanted.


	9. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A match concluded and reunions had.

“Please return to your seats; the final round is about to begin. Please return to your seats…” a woman’s voice played over the intercoms, signaling that the final round was about to start.

“We should probably start heading back.” Suke pointed out, still enjoying his walk with Lisbeth.

“Probably. It’s already the last round, huh? It happened so fast.” Suguha said.

When they got back to their seats, they found that the rest of the group had not left, idly chatting about random topics. Klein, noticing them, gave them some strife over their romantic walk, though not much else.

Soon after everyone got to their seats, the announcer came on stating that the match was going to begin momentarily. Looking down at the arena, Suke noticed that it had been fixed from the last round and that Kirito and Eugene were coming out to fight.

With fire in their eyes, it is evident that neither competitor lacked the determination to win, Eugene with his chest puffed out and Kirito not wanting to lose his only lead on Asuna’s location. As soon as the match started, both leaped into action, Kirito darting forward to do a skill connect and Eugene dodging effortlessly.

“You can’t beat me with the same tricks this time!” Eugene shouted, getting some distance from the swordsman.

Similar to past battles, Eugene did not slow with his taunts, dodging Kirito’s flurry of attacks with ease. The two opponents seemed to be equally matched, neither gaining or losing the advantage easily.

“It seems like you’ve grown stronger, but so have I.” Eugene exclaimed, parrying one of Kirito’s strikes, “But your movements are hectic.”

With the next strike, the two lock swords for several minutes in silence, seeming to be having a conversation. This did not last long, however, since Eugene broke the stalemate by jumping back.

“Don’t think I’ll fold that easily! I can’t have you beating me twice now; it would not be good for my reputation!” Eugene exclaimed.

“Well folks, it seems like Eugene is determined to win the match now, but how will Kirito respond to this? Through the match the swordsman has shown his deftness with his sword skills, taking out most of his opponents quickly, but how will he fair as this battle drags out?” the announcer shouted, the crowds almost drowning him out with their excitement.

Rushing forward, Eugene attempted to use skill connect on Kirito, with the swordsman outrunning his opponent. Turning around, Kirito answered with a skill connect of his own, dashing up to Eugene, jumping to the side just as he tried to block. His sword connecting with Eugene, Kirito proceeded to execute his skill, looking similar to a skill that he remembered hearing that Kirito had in the original SAO, Star Burst Stream.

As the smoke cleared, Eugene was found collapsed on the ground, unable to fight. Spinning his swords before sheathing them, Kirito turned to the announcer’s booth as the crowd went wild.

“And there you have it, folks! With that spectacular finishing move, the tournament is over! I have never seen such an intense match in my life! It is with great excitement that I present to you the winner of this tournament, Kirito, the swordsman!” the announcer exclaimed, the crowd going ballistic.

After getting out of the arena, the group waited for the new champion and their friend. Eventually, Kirito emerged from the crowd with a determined look in his eye as he clutched his prize, unopened.

“Hey, Kirito. Congratulations on winning!” Klein said, snapping Kirito from his daze.

“Oh, yes. Thanks.” Kirito responded before opening his prize.

As everyone gathered around to see what it was, they noticed that Kirito disregarded everything else and went straight for a piece of paper. Looking over Kirito's shoulder, Suke realized what they were, as well as what he needed to do. As soon as Kirito left in a hurry, Suke felt Agil’s hand on his shoulder.

“You know what to do. I believe that you will do the right thing.” Agil whispered, Suke nodding in response before logging out.

Taking off his Amushpere quickly, he whipped out his phone, making a quick call. Time was of the essence now, since there was no telling what could happen if he waited.

In an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town, Kirito quickly parked his motorcycle before rushing inside. What met him was what seemed like a hospital bed along with a man standing guard. Noticing his tattoo even from a distance, he knew that he was at the right place.

Picking up a pair of metal pipes that were on the ground, Kirito walked up to the man slowly at first then at full speed, slamming the pipes into the man’s chest, sending him flying into a wall. Slowly making his way over, Kirito spun the pipes in his hands, knowing that he could take his time.

“Kirito stop. Don’t do this, at least not in front of Asuna.” a voice said, stopping Kirito in his tracks.

Suke’s voice.

Hearing some movement behind him, Kirito dropped the metal pipes, trembling.

“K...Kirito? Is that you?” Asuna’s voice asked weakly.

“They’re in here!” a voice called out as police officers burst into the room, quickly covering it.

Rushing towards Asuna, Kirito collapsed beside her in relief, clasping her hand in his. Nothing else mattered at that moment; all he cared about was that the love of his life was safe.

Vaguely he noticed Kikuoka’s hand on his shoulder as several people got Asuna into an ambulance, with Kirito following. All of the ways to the hospital, Kirito whispered: “You’re safe now, this won’t happen again, I promise.”

Back in the warehouse, Kikuoka walked up to Suke, shaking his hand.

“Thank you for tipping us off about this place. I will try to do everything in my power to protect you if anything comes up. But seriously, Kazuto does not make my job easy. I hope he realizes that there is only so much I can cover up for him.” Kikuoka said with a sigh before turning to one of the policemen, “Oh, and take the guy that’s collapsed in the corner; he might know something about Laughing Coffin.”

“I should be the one thanking you, you have done so much for me,” Suke replied, bowing slightly.

“Hey, it’s not like you actually gave Laughing Coffin any important information.” Kikuoka stated, getting a strange look from Suke, “Ok, you got me. We did some digging into you when Kazuto brought up that Asuna had been kidnapped. While we did find out that you had connections to Laughing Coffin, we found nothing that linked you to the kidnapping. I’m just glad you called me yourself and told me the truth, that made it easier to trust you though we found no evidence to the whereabouts of your contact. Must have gone through multiple proxy servers to throw off anyone who investigated. We did get a name though, so we can at least work with that.”

“I guess that makes sense. So you weren’t able to find any members of Laughing Coffin beside the one in here? Well, he was probably just a disposable grunt, so he might not know that much.” Suke stated, not understanding what Kikuoka was getting at.

“Oh, I’m sure the person we are going to get will be just as helpful, though it’s worth a shot. She’s in big trouble now, since this is her second time wrapped up with a plot.” Kikuoka explained, “Have you ever heard of the head researcher of the creator of Sword Art Online?”

Suke nodded, remembering seeing her trials on the news as well as what he heard from his friends. To think she would get mixed up with a group like Laughing Coffin, especially after how she helped Asuna in the past.

“I’m just relieved it worked out in the end,” Suke said, looking in the direction the ambulance went.


	10. After Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter ends but the story is just starting.

“I can’t believe it’s already been six weeks,” Suke said, gazing into Lisbeth’s eyes.

“Huh? Oh, you mean since… Yeah, it feels weird to me as well.” Lisbeth replied as they ordered their breakfast. Ever since that day, it has become a tradition that they go to that cafe for breakfast; the same one Suke asked Lisbeth to on the day she learned his secret.

It had calmed down considerably since that day, with Asuna already released from the hospital and all. Both Suke and Lisbeth were relieved to find this out, and they have grown even closer since the incident.

“I heard that no one really got caught besides doctor Koujiro. I don’t think she’s going to be able to get out of this one, even if it turns out that she was persuaded to help.” Lisbeth continued.

“Oh, yes. I saw that on T.V. Didn’t she help you guys when Kirito got taken someplace?” Suke asked which was answered by a nod. They continued to talk about random things while eating their food, enjoying each other’s company.

Elsewhere, at Kazuto’s house, another couple was enjoying each other’s company, something that was well deserved and long awaited.

“It’s so peaceful today; it’s almost like what happened a few weeks back never happened.” Asuna said calmly, leaning on Kirito’s shoulder.

“Well, it did, but what bugs me is how easily it was resolved.” Kirito responded, clenching his fists in his lap, “Don’t worry, I won’t let them take you. Not again.”

“Kirito, please.” Asuna said, looking at him with an annoyed look, “Nothing is going to happen to me. Laughing Coffin has been taken care of, so enjoy this wonderful weather. Ok?”

“Fine, I guess so. It’s just that something about this doesn’t seem right.” Kirito continued, getting interrupted by a quick kiss from Asuna, “Though I guess I might just overthinking things.”

“Oh, I don’t mind, you’re just worried about me. Remember when I was still in the hospital? You seemed like you were about to murder that one nurse who told you that you needed to leave.” Asuna recalled, laughing.

“I didn’t want to leave your side...I also might have been sleep deprived at that moment so…” Kirito replied, laughing as well.

Remaining like that for a good while, Kirito and Asuna enjoyed listening to the sounds of the world around them from the backyard of the house. At some point they both fell asleep, Asuna resting on Kirito’s shoulder, only to be woken up by Asuna’s mom, Kyouko.

“Mother! What are you doing here! Who let you in?” Asuna exclaimed, fully awake at this point.

“You gave me a key, remember? After I threatened you that one time?” Kyouko replied, sitting down next to her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law.

“So, what brings you here, Mrs. Yuuki?” Kirito asked, sitting up straight.

“I need an excuse to see my daughter and son-in-law. And I only threatened to ruin Kazuto’s career, nothing much.” Kyouko replied, sounding offended.

“Well, you don’t, but you probably could have called ahead.” Asuna said.

“Oh it’s fine, we weren’t doing anything anyways. I was glad to have a key made for you; I had been thinking about doing that for some time.” Kirito stated, putting a hand on Asuna’s shoulder.

“It’s good to hear that. You truly are a good man, Kazuto. I am glad my daughter chose you. The wedding is coming up, isn’t it? Thankfully it was not delayed, it cost so much money to get it ready.” Kyouko said, “I am truly thankful that you protected my daughter, getting her back from that evil group so quickly. You could not have known that they were planning that, but you still did all you could. I could not ask for anything more.”

“Thank you for that. Your husband said something similar when he visited Asuna in the hospital. Anyways, I can’t believe that I’m going to be married in a few weeks. The whole situation is surreal in all honesty.” Kirito replied, bowing slightly to Kyouko.

“No problem, anyways, how is your sister doing? She and that Nagata kid getting along?” Kyouko asked.

“Well, you can ask her. You probably passed her when you br...came in.” Asuna replied, obviously wanting to get back to relaxing with Kirito.

“Oh, I get it. You want to be alone. Of course, I completely understand. I’ll just bother your sister, Kazuto, get back to what you were doing. Remember, I don’t want to be a grandmother until after the wedding.” Kyouko said before leaving.

“Mom!” Asuna exclaimed, covering her blushing face as Kirito shifted around awkwardly.

“Do you want me to make you something?” Kirito asked as he got up, wanting to do something.

“Sure, how about I help you?” Asuna asked, getting up as well, making their way to the kitchen.

After they had made some food, they returned to the backyard to eat their food. Talking about random topics, as they so often did, they enjoyed each other’s company. After their meal was finished, Kirito pulled Asuna into a hug.

“I will always find you, no matter what happens,” Kirito whispered into her ear.

Somewhere in the back of a bar, two men sat across from each other, making sure that no one was around to hear them.

“Well, I would say that was a success. I mean, I never would have guessed that kid actually to fall in love with the girl, but that really didn’t change anything.” one of the men said, taking a sip of his drink.

“It would have been suicide to give him any real information anyways since there was going to be a spotlight on him no matter how he acted. We’ll take care of him for what he did though, teach him what happens when you cross us.” the other man replied with a crooked grin.

“Are the preparations almost complete for the next phase?” the first man asked.

“Yes, it will still take some time, but it should be ready soon. And when it is, no one will be able to stand in our way.” the other man explained, taking a sip of his drink revealing the Laughing Coffin emblem on his arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this arc. The next one is calmer to set up the other ones.


End file.
